The Color Red
by redmaster78
Summary: The strongest Pokemon Trainer ever, Red Ketchum, has dissapeared. Gold Aero, a boy from Johto, is obsessed with finding him. And Emerald Elm, son of the Johto professor, is starting his Pokemon Journey with one goal in mind: To find out why Red ever left. This is a story of loss, adventure, and betrayal, and our characters will find out what it truly costs to be the very best.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

For years, stories had been told and rumours had been spread about what happened to the true Champion of the Kanto and Johto League. Few knew the true whereabouts of the legendary trainer; he had disappeared without telling anyone where he was going.

Now, for some, this wouldn't have seemed strange; strong trainers leave sometimes for years at a time without telling anyone, to hone their skills for their next shot at the Pokemon League.

Those trainers weren't 16 year old boys, and they definitely weren't Champions, either.

The Kanto Champion, and quite possibly the strongest trainer ever, disappeared without a trace 6 months after he won the League. This Champion's name was Red Ketchum.

Red's story was quite a remarkable one; he began his journey at the age of 10, and in just 6 years, collected all 8 Kanto Badges and sweeped the Elite Four. In his battle with the Champion, his childhood friend and rival Blue, he only had to use one Pokemon to earn the title of Champion.

5 months and 11 days after that battle, Red Ketchum walked out of the Indigo Plateau, and was never seen, nor heard from again.

That is, until, one trainer became strong enough to find him.

* * *

Gold Aero, a 12 year old boy from New Bark Town, set off on a similar adventure to be the very best. He quickly gained his Johto badges, and by the age of 13, defeated Lance, the Dragon Master, and took his place as the temporary Champion of the Kanto and Johto leagues.

Gold, at the age of 13, developed an obsession with the whereabouts of his idol, Red. He traveled through every region searching for some hint to the whereabouts of his lost hero, and came back from each adventure with nothing but new Pokemon.

That is, until a summer day, a year after the vanishing of Red, that Gold and his rival Silver took a fishing trip to Cerulean Lake.

* * *

"Gold, have you gotten any bites yet?" Silver asked his childhood rival.

"Sorry to say Silver but no. There doesn't seem to be any new Pokemon out here, and if i'm going to get my first badge when I go to Hoenn, i'll need a powerful Water Type!"

"Well, Gold, you may be out of options, but i'm not. I got a brand new Super Rod!"

Gold stared in awe as he wondered how his Rival, who had not been battling for months, had found the money to afford such a high-tec device.

"Silver, how in the world did you get that? Don't tell me you've been stealing-" Gold began.

"Gold, shut up already! I think I have a bite!" Silver interrupted.

And, Silver did in fact have a bite. Just as Silver finished his sentence, he was dragged off of the fishing boat and into the cool, clear water of the Cerulean lake.

Gold sat there in shock wonder, thinking about what kind of Pokemon could have the strength to pull Silver right off the boat, when he saw the fin of a Gyarados break the surface of the water. Without hesitation, Gold unclasped his first Pokemon from his belt and looked at the Ultra Ball.

 _C'mon buddy, don't fail me now._

"Go, Reaper!" Gold shouted into the air as his Pokemon was released in a flash of light.

Gold's Scyther began to take shape when the Gyarados broke through the water with Silver close by, holding on for his life to the Super Rod, which was currently situated in the Gyarados' jaw.

"Scyther, Fury Attack!" Gold screamed confidently.

In the blink of an eye, the Scyther took off toward the Gyarados and began striking with great tenacity. Although the attacks were weakening the Gyarados, it showed no signs of giving up.

 _Alright then, I guess I need more help than I thought._

As Gold was about to unclip his second ball from his belt, he saw a look of fear in the Gyarados's eye. As the Gyarados let out a roar of pain, it began to glow blue and was pulled under water. As the Gyarados sunk, Reaper grabbed Silver and brought him to safety.

"I thought I was going to die! You couldn't have acted quicker?" Silver inquired ungratefuly.

"A little thanks for saving your ass would have been nice, Silver." Gold stated, as he walked to the edge of the boat.

"What do you think you're doing, Gold, you must be-" Silver began.

It was then that Gold pushed off of the side of the boat and dove underwater, the splash interrupting Silver.

Once underwater, Gold pulled a mask out of his soaked bag that he had received in the Sevii Islands, which allowed him to somewhat breath underwater for short periods of time.

He began to swim deeper and deeper, until he finally found the Gyarados. Or what it used to be.

He stared in fear as he was stopped in his tracks by a bloodied carcass of the once graceful dragon pokemon.

 _What could've possibly done this to it?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

 _Thanks so much to the first follower of this story, shoutout to them._

 _Emerald, the main character of this fic, will be introduced in the next few chapters._

 _Heres the next installment of The Color Red, review if you can please! Constructive criticism is appreciated._

Chapter 2

* * *

Gold was initially shocked by the sight of the Gyarados; and then he was curious. He could tell by the situating of the Gyarados that whatever attacked it had tried to drag it somewhere; it's body was blocking a hole. Gold knew he needed extra help; he unclipped the fourth ball on his belt and enlarged it.

Gold let out a muffled shout into his mask and pressed the white button in the center of the Poke Ball, releasing his first Pokemon: what was once a small, joyful Totodile, was now a towering, strong, fierce Feraligatr. It let out a roar into the water.

Gold signaled to the Gyarados, and Feraligatr knew immediately to move it. It barreled towards the dead water-snake, and used it's wide jaws to move the creature to the side. Behind the Gyarados, the entrance to an underwater cave revealed itself. Gold was intrigued, so he called Feraligatr back to him. Gold latched onto Biter's fin and prepared for the fast swim.

When they reached the entrance of the underwater cave, Gold immediately saw where they would be able to surface. He was running out of air, but what alarmed him more were the signs on the walls of the underwater cave; someone had obviously been here before.

 _Turn back, or risk death._

Gold felt a shiver run up his spine, but continued walking. For safety, he called out possibly his most powerful Pokemon.

"Electro, I choose you!" His shout echoed into the cave.

His Electabuzz formed in the dark cave, the sparks coming off of it's fur illuminating the cavern. Gold had a failsafe incase he got in trouble; his Rhydon knew the move Dig and could get him out if need be.

As Gold took off into the cave, he noticed rumblings coming from the level underneath him. He called out his Rhydon and had it dig down through the floor.

Gold attached the rope in his bag to the edge of a rock on the upper level, and slowly slid down. Rhydon, Feraligatr, and Electabuzz all hopped down, able to sustain the fall.

Gold heard a roar from the other side of the small room he was in, and saw two blue eyes light up the darkness of the room. Electabuzz used Flash, and as the cavern lit up, Gold saw something he wished he would never have to see again; Gold saw the most powerful Pokemon on Earth.

 _Mewtwo._

* * *

Gold stood there, staring at the creature before him in awe. He had heard stories of the legendary beast; cloned from the DNA of Mew, the creator of all other Pokemon. Gold knew of Red's encounter with the creature; it had all but become a legend since Red disappeared so many months ago.

Gold knew from the look in Mewtwo's blue eyes that the only way out was to fight. He grasped the sixth Pokeball on his belt and enlarged it. He held the strongest Pokeball every created; the Master Ball.

Gold slowly slid his fingers across the sleek, purple polish, and scratched the engraving of the white M on the front of the ball.

As he placed his finger on the white circle in the center, his attention was brought back to the moment he caught the Pokemon within that ball.

* * *

 _A wild thunderstorm was breaking out upon the National Park between Goldenrod and Ecruteak. Gold had wandered into the National Park while going to meet Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader, to discuss a trade for one of Morty's Gengars, when he was caught in the middle of the intense storm._

 _When he saw the first bolt of lightning, he knew the storm wasn't like any others. He shifted in the grass of the park, preparing for a rabid Pikachu or Ampharos to jump out of the lush green, looking for a fight. He released his trusty bug-type in preparation for the event._

 _"Reaper, I choose you!" Gold screamed, his shout being covered by the loud thunder._

 _His Scyther materialized in a white flash, and took it's position, ready to fight. Gold heard a rustling in the tall grass, and his Scyther sprang, blades up, ready to kill whatever was there. Instead, a brown-haired man in a purple suit showed himself._

 _"Settle that Scyther down, and leave the premises immediately." The man spoke with confidence._

 _"And who are you to tell me to do so?" Gold questioned._

 _"My name is Eusine, and it is imperative that you leave this area. It is too dangerous for you." Eusine spoke with an edge to his voice._

 _"Yeah, well, I think i'll take my-"_

 _Gold was interrupted when a large bolt of lightning struck the distance between him and Eusine, distracting him from the conversation._

 _He looked over to his side to realize that the mysterious man had disappeared, and before him stood a Pokemon that he had never seen before._

 _It's thick, yellow fur, crackling with electricity, led up to a purple tuft of hair lining its back. The Pokemon displayed an aura of pure power, and Gold knew immediately, he was facing a beast of legend._

 _"Raikou..." Gold muttered in disbelief._

 _Just as Gold began to organize his thoughts, the Raikou in front of him let out a loud growl._

 _Gold realized it was either fight or flight, so he commanded his Scyther to take his position._

 _"X-Scissor!"_

 _As Scyther sharpened it's blades, it sprang at the Raikou, striking it's yellow fur._

 _The Raikou yelped in pain, and released a tremendously strong thunder from it's tail._

 _"Scyther, Air Cutter, and then Bullet Punch!"_

 _The Scyther struck the Raikou relentlessly until it collapsed._

 _Gold enlarged the Master Ball he had gotten in Goldenrod, and dropped it on the Raikou in front of him._

 _Gold had caught a legendary._

* * *

"Raikou, I choose you!" Gold shouted.

The yellow beast showed itself and let out a loud roar, but Mewtwo didn't flinch. He saw the creature's eyes glow blue, and his Raikou was flung across the room. It yelped and then went quiet.

 _How could any Pokemon take out a legendary beast like that?_

Gold knew he only had one chance to get away with his life, and he took it. He called his Rhydon to his side, and, although it was a risk, took his only chance.

"Rhydon, Horn drill." Gold said calmly.

His Rhydon began to run towards the Mewtwo, and Gold closed his eyes and said a prayer, until he heard a large growl.

The Mewtwo collapsed, and, although his attention was on the unconscious Mewtwo, he noticed something engraved into the back wall.

 _If you are seeing this, I assume you are a strong trainer. If you can, come to the peak of Mount Silver. Something very bad has happened, and someone very evil is after me. I need your help. Please, I'm in danger._

 _-Pokemon Master Red_

Gold stared in awe at the message. He was excited and terrified that he finally knew about the whereabouts of Master Red, but something else concerned him more.

Mount Silver was the most dangerous place on Earth; any challenges he had seen before paled in comparison to the monstrous mountain.

Red went to the top of Mount Silver, alive, and alone.

Only one question stayed in Gold's mind.

 _What is he running from?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Emerald, the Pokemon Prodigy!

* * *

Viridian City was a peaceful place in the summertime; always well protected from the dangerous Pokemon of Victory Road due to it having the strongest Gym Leader, Giovanni.

Giovanni had become Gym Leader at the age of 16, and had served for close to 30 years. He was well regarded as the Master of Ground Type Pokemon because of his unstoppable Nidoqueen.

Viridian had other attractions, such as the Pokemon Lab that had been built in it due to the population rise and the demand of starter Pokemon for new trainers. Professor Elm, the Johto Professor, had moved his entire family from New Bark Town in the last year to work at the new lab in Viridian. He had appointed Blue Oak, former Champion turned Researcher, as the Professor of the New Bark Town lab.

Viridian was known for it's researchers; but soon, it would be known as the birthplace of one of the greatest battlers that had ever lived.

The professor's son, Emerald, had just turned 13 on a quiet Thursday in Viridian, and had decided that he wanted to begin his Pokemon Journey. Ever since his hero, Red, had disappeared, he had been itching to start his journey. He knew Red had gone somewhere where he thought no one would find him, but Emerald knew, if he persevered, he could find his hero.

* * *

Emerald took off from his house next to the gym just as the sun rose on the morning of his birthday. He quickly ran out, grabbed his bike, and sped over to his father's lab.

Elm had been expecting his son to be so early, and, in fact, had lined up 3 starters for Emerald to choose from that day. He had hand-picked three Pokemon that all shared a similar trait; they were weak at first, but with enough training and dedication, would prove to be some of the strongest Pokemon anyone had ever recorded.

Emerald barged through the door, ready to pick his starter.

"Dad, Dad, i'm ready to pick my starter!" Emerald spoke with enthusiasm.

"Son, calm down. I've got three Pokemon here for you to choose from." Elm spoke.

"Can I see them dad? I wanna know which one is perfect for me!"

"Sure son. I have three Pokemon native to Kanto and Johto that I think would all work well for you. The first is Larvitar, a ground and rock type Pokemon. The second is Dratini, a dragon type. And the third is Horsea, a water type. Take your pick." Elm said.

"I choose Larvitar. I know he's the perfect partner." Emerald spoke confidently.

"Well, alright son. Here is the Larvitar in it's PokeBall. Here is your Pokedex, and here are some Potions and PokeBalls to get you started on your journey. Where are you headed first?"

"I'm going to challenge the Viridian City Gym." Emerald said.

"Son, you do know that that is an Eight Tier Gym, correct? It's the strongest in all of Kanto." Elm said concernedly.

"I know dad. I can do it."

"Well alright son. When you leave Viridian, make sure to call every night, okay?"

After tears and heartfelt goodbyes, Emerald was ready. Of course, he needed some training before he could take on Giovanni, so he took to Viridian Forest to search for new Pokemon.

* * *

Emerald had been wandering Viridian for hours, finding nothing. He had battled a few trainers, and his Larvitar seemed to be growing stronger, but there was no way he'd beat Giovanni if he kept up at this pace.

Emerald walked through the tall grass searching for a Caterpie when he heard a rustle in the trees above him. He saw red wings in the trees, and grabbed Larvitar's ball from his belt.

"Larvitar, I choose you!"

His Larvitar sprang out and prepared in it's stance as the red-winged Pokemon showed itself. The Ledian fluttered down from the trees and looked ready for a fight.

"Larvitar, Bite!"

The Larvitar sprang at Ledian, chomping down on one of it's wings. The Ledian let out a squeak and punched the Larvitar in the face, causing it to stumble back.

 _Comet Punch. Wow, this Ledian must be strong._

"Larvitar, wait for it to attack, and then use Rock Slide!"

The Ledian began to glow a faint green, and spores began to collect around it. Moments later, it let out a Solarbeam at Larvitar.

"Quick, dodge, and then Rock Slide!"

The Larvitar did as commanded, knocking the Ledian down for the count. Emerald walked over, dropping one of the PokeBalls on the unconscious Ledian.

 _A flying type for my gym battle. Perfect to counter the ground types. They won't be able to use Earthquake._

Emerald had caught a Pokemon.

* * *

Emerald caught no more Pokemon in Viridian Forest that day, but was content with his Ledian. He knew that, with a few training sessions, the Ledian would be able to help Emerald take down Giovanni.

He knew he could beat the legendary Gym Leader, but he didn't have a game plan yet. He knew one thing: his Ledian's Solarbeam would come in handy.

He decided he'd lead off with his Larvitar, hopefully against Giovanni's Nidoking, and that he'd use Sunny Day to make sure his Ledian's Solarbeam would be effective, but that was it.

He went to sleep that night ready to challenge Giovanni. He knew that he didn't have a chance, but for some reason, that didn't stop him.

* * *

Emerald awoke the next day early in the morning. He was tired, but rushed himself out of the house in preparation for his challenge. Using some training dummies his dad had bought, Emerald practiced his Larvitar's Rock Slide to use on Giovanni's Nidoqueen, and his Double Kick for his Persian.

His Ledian seemed to be much stronger than it's species usually is, and Emerald couldn't tell why. He could see that the Ledian had been in some intense battles, because of a wide scar on one of it's wings, but he didn't know how the Pokemon could've been harmed in Viridian Forest.

Emerald trained for hours before setting off for the gym, with one goal in mind.

To destroy Giovanni and earn his badge.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Earth Badge, Here I Come!

* * *

Emerald stared down the tall, stone doors of the Viridian Gym, ready to take on his first real challenge as a trainer. His thoughts blurred as he prepared to walk in, challenging the most powerful gym in Kanto for his first badge.

 _Alright, I have a gameplan, and I know my Ledian can win. All I have to do is stall with Larvitar until he uses Sunny Day, and then send in my Ledian for 5 consecutive Solarbeams._

Emerald's plan seemed faulty, however, he hoped it would help him overcome the gym of Viridian.

He stepped to the front of the tall doors, and inserted his Pokedex into the slot to the right of the door.

 _This is it._

"Hello Trainer, what is your reason for visiting Viridian Gym today?" A robotic voice said.

"Trainer Emerald, ID number 2019435, competing for Mastery of the Earth Badge." Emerald said confidently.

"Please proceed."

Emerald walked slowly into the large coliseum that was the Viridian Stadium. He looked to his trainer box and saw that it was shaped like a Greek Chariot. He also saw that the field was decorated with pillars and statues, possibly to intimidate challenging trainers. He stepped to his box.

"Emerald Elm, challenging for Mastery of the Ground Type." Emerald yelled with ferocity.

"Giovanni, Leader of Viridian Gym, accepts your challenge." A middle aged man yelled from across the field.

"Prepare for battle." The automated voice said.

"This will be a full battle, allowing all six Pokemon to be used. Victory is achieved when all of the opponents Pokemon faint. Begin."

"Larvitar, I choose you!" Emerald yelled.

"Dugtrio, obliterate the competition!" Giovanni shouted venomously.

The battle had begun. Both trainers shouted commands from each side, starting what would be the most historic battle in history.

* * *

It had been an hour since the battle had began. Emerald stood in the Green Trainer box, sweat pouring from his face, and his lips pursed as he stared down his competition.

He had taken out four of Giovanni's Pokemon; Giovanni had started out easy, but, as Emerald kept winning, the challenge became greater and greater.

Giovanni had one Pokemon left; his starter, his most trusted partner. But, Emerald saw in Larvitar's eyes that it was not ready to give up.

Ledian had taken hits early on in the battle, and was badly beaten up, but hadn't fainted yet. Larvitar had stayed strong throughout the battle, refusing to give up.

Emerald knew this was his chance to begin his legacy.

"Nidoking, GO!" Giovanni shouted from across the battlefield.

Larvitar stood strong, feet planted into the soft dirt of the arena.

"Larvitar, just one more!" Emerald screamed.

Larvitar took off towards the Nidoking. Each trainer screamed moves to their Pokemon. Nidoking with an earthquake, and then Larvitar with a rock slide.

The battle was beginning to wear heavily on both Pokemon, Larvitar's speed tiring out the powerful Nidoking.

As the Nidoking began to huff and puff, Emerald knew it was his chance.

"Larvitar, return. Ledian, I choose you!"

Ledian took to the field, ready to fight.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, making it a great opportunity to end the battle.

"Ledian, run around and tire the Nidoking out!"

Ledian leaped from boulder to boulder on the rocky field, the Nidoking pushing it's endurance as it fought to keep up with the Ledian.

"Now Ledian, Solarbeam!"

Ledian began to glow a bright green, and suddenly it released a great beam of energy, hitting the Nidoking square in the chest. The Nidoking grunted and then toppled over onto the field.

"Nidoking is unable to battle. The match goes to the Green Trainer." The automated voice said.

Emerald dropped to his knees, worn out by the battle, yet excited by his win at the same time.

"Congratulations, Emerald. You fought like none i've ever faced." Giovanni said.

"Thank you leader, it was a hard battle to win." Emerald replied.

"That Ledian... The scar on it's wing. I would know that scar from a mile away. That Ledian was owned by a very powerful trainer... Possibly the best i've ever seen. It listens to you. It must see the same thing in you that it saw in that Ketchum boy." Giovanni said.

"Ketchum... This Ledian belonged to Red? Are you sure?" Emerald asked.

"I'm sure, Emerald. I gave it that scar in Red's eighth battle. You have a gift, son. My Pokemon sensed it. There is something special about you... Something that they've never sensed in a trainer before. Something that let you win this battle." Giovanni said mysteriously.

"I don't know what to make of that... If it helps me to be a Master, then I'm happy with it." Emerald said nervously.

Giovanni handed Emerald his badge, and walked away without another word.

* * *

Word had spread quickly about the new trainers victory over Giovanni, and many were following him, asking questions. Emerald had begun his legacy, one that would not be forgotten.

Many offered to battle, but Emerald quietly made his way back to his house. He had decided he would leave Viridian in the morning; He would go get 7 more badges and then challenge the Elite Four.

Emerald had done something that no one had done before. He was ready for his next challenge, and he knew his team could take on any task that came at them.

He had to find Red. Emerald had, what he thought to be, Red's Ledian. Red had disappeared off of the face of the earth; why would he leave his Ledian in Viridian Forest?

These questions were for another day. Emerald needed to focus on his next gym badge, and, on top of that, needed to find more Pokemon for his team.

He needed to be the very best.

* * *

In another part of Viridian, a thirteen year-old boy had just witnessed the win of Emerald to Giovanni for the Earth Badge. He was in awe; he had never seen a trainer that strong, let alone one who had just began their journey.

He knew what he had to do; he had to be the strong trainers rival. He needed someone to push him to the point of breaking, and then be there to help him rebuild himself.

All of the greatest trainers had rivals; Red had Blue, Gold had Silver, Giovanni had Lance.

Each pair had gone down in history as the greatest trainers to ever walk the earth.\

It was now Black's mission to be that boys rival; their would be no path to greatness without it.

He could see it now; Black Birch and Emerald Elm, the strongest rivalry in history.

All he had to do was earn it.


End file.
